Striking Out Six Batters, Mo’Ne Davis Pitches Like A Girl

Mo’Ne Davis, 13, led her Little League team to the World Series when she struck out six batters Sunday. The Philadelphia native plays for the Taney Youth Baseball Association and can pitch a 70-mph fastball, according to reports. Davis is only the 18th girl to play in the Little League World Series since girls were officially allowed to participate in 1974. This year, the contest will take place in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and one other girl will compete, Emma March of Canada’s South Vancouver league. The World Series is set to take place Friday and you can watch on ESPN. Clutch has the story:

Davis is an honor roll 8th grader and has played for a travel baseball team since she was 7. In a climate that pressures girls to switch over to softball teams before they become teenagers, Davis has held strong and shown her teammates that baseball is the only game for her. It’s often mistakenly assumed that softball is essentially the same as baseball, and while softball has plenty of merits (including its own Little League World Series), the two sports are hardly identical. Girls who love baseball rarely have female leagues to join and often have to fight their way onto all-male teams. Even after being allowed to play, these young women may frequently have to justify their presence on the team.

Davis and March stand as awesome public proof that girls can play right alongside the boys — and excel at it. While it’s not fair that Davis carries the pressure of representing all young women in baseball, a lot of sports fans seem to see her that way. The good news is that she’s an awesome role model and totally cut out for the job. Hopefully, in a more equal future, a token trailblazing female on a sports team won’t be the big news that it is today. Even if you’re not a baseball fan, it might be worth switching on ESPN to see these two ladies take the field this weekend! Read more.